Whenever I come across a recipe that sounds good, I almost always end up modifying it to make it healthier, tastier, or to fit the ingredients I have on hand. A recipe for me, is merely an idea and starting point, and then I create dishes with ingredients I have on hand, or that we prefer. I started this blog to share my ideas, and I have a book published with the same title at Lulu.com. Please join in and share your thoughts and ideas, too!

This blog is not intended as a substitute for the health or diet advice of physicians or dietitians. The reader should regularly consult a physician in matters relating to his or her health.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

I have created a photo album on Facebook with pictures of recipes in my book. I will update the album as I get more photos.

The book is available at lulu.com, and I am currently running a promotion on Facebook to giveaway one FREE book!

If you would like to purchase the book, the following Lulu discount codes are available. Only the first three codes worked for me. I could not find expiration dates or restrictions for the other coupons. I listed them because others have had success using them. If anyone else gets them to work, please let us know how you did it!

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Almonds are packed with vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber. A 16-oz. bag of raw almonds can be purchased for a reasonable price; however, slivered almonds often sell for more than twice as much.

I am determined to find an easy way to sliver almonds myself! So far, the following process is the easiest method I have found. If anyone knows of an easier way, please share with the rest of us.

Blanch the almonds

I heard that blanched almonds slice easier than raw ones because they do not crack, so I decided to give it a try. I found a few different ways to blanch almonds online, and I chose the following method:

Pour enough water in a saucepan to cover the amount of almonds you want to blanch. Heat to boiling. Add the almonds (I used about 2 to 3 handfuls). Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, strain in colander, and run under (or submerge in) cold water to stop the process.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

**UPDATE June 2015A winner has been chosen, and this drawing has now ended. Watch for future promotions!I am giving away a FREE book to one lucky follower! The book is about making healthy food choices. It contains information about how to choose products, how to alter recipes, ingredient substitutions, and nearly 150 recipes. You can find more details about the book at lulu.com.

Head over to my Facebook page for details of the book giveaway, and to enter!

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

I never thought celery soup could be so tasty. I had a bit of celery on hand that needed to be used, so I did an online search for any recipe containing celery. After viewing a few different celery soup recipes, I came up with the following combination, which was delicious! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

After vegetables have cooked, scoop most of the cooked vegetables into blender in small batches, and pulse until smooth. I poured the broth and vegetables into a separate bowl, and then used the same saucepan for the next step. I used a soup ladle to scoop the vegetables into the blender, and only added as much of the broth as I needed to be able to blend the mixture. I did not worry about getting all of the vegetables into the blender. If you enlarge the photo above, you can see that some of the carrots were not all blended.

Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon butter in saucepan. Sauté remaining diced celery. If mixture becomes too dry, and some of the broth liquid from the cooked vegetables. When celery is soft, add blended vegetables and broth back to the saucepan. Stir in half-and-half, lemon juice, hot sauce, and freshly ground pepper. Stir to heat soup, but do not boil.

Thursday, April 2, 2015

I have been unable to find whole-grain baking mix in the store, so I decided to make my own. I had been using whole-grain pancake mix, which works okay if only a small amount is needed. I found, however, that I did not like the taste when I needed more than a couple of tablespoons.

Those of you who have my book, may be familiar with my Cream Soup Powder recipe, and this is a similar idea. I did an online search for ideas, and came up with the following mixture.

Ready for the freezer

Ingredients

3 tablespoons trans-fat-free butter, frozen and/or nonfat Greek yogurt - I had been using Smart Balance sticks; however, these are no longer available, so I used Earth Balance sticks, as they are made with natural oils and have no trans fat. The fat content is quite high, however, so I have returned to Smart Balance, and now use their buttery spread in place of stick margarine or butter in recipes.

About the Author

Iris is an avid traveler who writes about her passions in both traveling and eating healthy. She has visited all 50 US states, as well as destinations in Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Iris strives to live a healthy lifestyle. Her idea of a healthy diet is one that includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean protein, and treats in moderation. She has a published book available at lulu.com that compliments the Eating Healthy blog. The book contains cooking hints, substitutions, recipes, and more.